diff --git a/src/components/Layout.tsx b/src/components/Layout.tsx
index 90b02d4..92d570f 100644
--- a/src/components/Layout.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Layout.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { Outlet } from "react-router-dom";
 import { useIsFetching } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { Sidebar } from "./Sidebar";
+import { SkipLink } from "@/components/ui/skip-link";
 
 export function Layout() {
   // useIsFetching() returns the number of in-flight queries and is 0 on
@@ -11,6 +12,9 @@ export function Layout() {
 
   return (
     <div className="relative min-h-screen z-10">
+      {/* Skip link — first Tab stop, jumps past the sidebar.
+           Hidden until focused (see .skip-link in index.css). */}
+      <SkipLink />
       {/*
         Scan element — always in the DOM (no layout shift), 1px tall, full
         width. pointer-events-none so it never blocks clicks. The inner
@@ -28,7 +32,11 @@ export function Layout() {
         />
       </div>
       <Sidebar />
-      <main className="md:pl-60">
+      <main
+        id="main-content"
+        tabIndex={-1}
+        className="md:pl-60 outline-none"
+      >
         <div className="mx-auto max-w-[1400px] px-8 py-10">
           <Outlet />
         </div>
diff --git a/src/components/ui/badge.tsx b/src/components/ui/badge.tsx
index 7f2526c..f9b0acc 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/badge.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/badge.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { cva, type VariantProps } from "class-variance-authority";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 
 const badgeVariants = cva(
-  "inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-full border px-2.5 py-0.5 text-xs font-medium transition-colors focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-ring focus:ring-offset-2 focus:ring-offset-background",
+  "inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-full border px-2.5 py-0.5 text-xs font-medium transition-colors focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring focus-visible:ring-offset-2 focus-visible:ring-offset-background",
   {
     variants: {
       variant: {
diff --git a/src/components/ui/claim-state-badge.tsx b/src/components/ui/claim-state-badge.tsx
index e4832f0..4d47314 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/claim-state-badge.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/claim-state-badge.tsx
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ export function ClaimStateBadge({
         className,
       )}
     >
-      <Icon className="h-3 w-3" strokeWidth={1.75} />
+      <Icon className="h-3 w-3" strokeWidth={1.75} aria-hidden />
       {cfg.label}
     </Badge>
   );
diff --git a/src/components/ui/dialog.tsx b/src/components/ui/dialog.tsx
index 91ffca3..a74d63d 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/dialog.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/dialog.tsx
@@ -38,8 +38,11 @@ const DialogContent = React.forwardRef<
       {...props}
     >
       {children}
-      <DialogPrimitive.Close className="absolute right-4 top-4 rounded-md p-1 text-muted-foreground opacity-70 transition-opacity hover:opacity-100 focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-ring">
-        <X className="h-4 w-4" />
+      <DialogPrimitive.Close
+        aria-label="Close dialog"
+        className="absolute right-4 top-4 rounded-md p-1 text-muted-foreground opacity-70 transition-opacity hover:opacity-100 focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring focus-visible:ring-offset-2 focus-visible:ring-offset-background"
+      >
+        <X className="h-4 w-4" aria-hidden />
         <span className="sr-only">Close</span>
       </DialogPrimitive.Close>
     </DialogPrimitive.Content>
diff --git a/src/components/ui/select.tsx b/src/components/ui/select.tsx
index 124ba90..074bdba 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/select.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/select.tsx
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ const SelectTrigger = React.forwardRef<
   <SelectPrimitive.Trigger
     ref={ref}
     className={cn(
-      "flex h-9 w-full items-center justify-between rounded-md border border-input bg-background/60 px-3 py-1 text-sm shadow-sm placeholder:text-muted-foreground focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-ring focus:ring-offset-2 focus:ring-offset-background disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50 [&>span]:line-clamp-1",
+      "flex h-9 w-full items-center justify-between rounded-md border border-input bg-background/60 px-3 py-1 text-sm shadow-sm placeholder:text-muted-foreground focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring focus-visible:ring-offset-2 focus-visible:ring-offset-background disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50 [&>span]:line-clamp-1",
       className
     )}
     {...props}
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ const SelectItem = React.forwardRef<
   <SelectPrimitive.Item
     ref={ref}
     className={cn(
-      "relative flex w-full cursor-default select-none items-center rounded-sm py-1.5 pl-8 pr-2 text-sm outline-none focus:bg-muted focus:text-foreground data-[disabled]:pointer-events-none data-[disabled]:opacity-50",
+      "relative flex w-full cursor-default select-none items-center rounded-sm py-1.5 pl-8 pr-2 text-sm outline-none focus:bg-muted focus:text-foreground data-[highlighted]:bg-muted data-[highlighted]:text-foreground data-[state=checked]:font-medium data-[disabled]:pointer-events-none data-[disabled]:opacity-50",
       className
     )}
     {...props}
diff --git a/src/components/ui/skip-link.tsx b/src/components/ui/skip-link.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cc87b37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/ui/skip-link.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import * as React from "react";
+import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
+
+type SkipLinkProps = React.AnchorHTMLAttributes<HTMLAnchorElement> & {
+  /** id of the element the link should jump to (target of the focus). */
+  targetId?: string;
+};
+
+/**
+ * "Skip to main content" link.
+ *
+ * Renders off-screen by default so it does not intrude on the visual
+ * design, and slides into view when it receives keyboard focus. Used at
+ * the very top of <Layout> so keyboard users can bypass the sidebar and
+ * the global scan element on the first Tab.
+ *
+ * Voice: instrument-label eyebrow caps. Same hairline surface as the
+ * sidebar so it feels native when it appears.
+ */
+export function SkipLink({
+  targetId = "main-content",
+  className,
+  children = "Skip to main content",
+  ...props
+}: SkipLinkProps) {
+  return (
+    <a
+      href={`#${targetId}`}
+      className={cn("skip-link", className)}
+      {...props}
+    >
+      {children}
+    </a>
+  );
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/components/ui/table.tsx b/src/components/ui/table.tsx
index 194f656..4de0695 100644
--- a/src/components/ui/table.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ui/table.tsx
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ const TableRow = React.forwardRef<
   <tr
     ref={ref}
     className={cn(
-      "border-b border-border/40 transition-colors hover:bg-muted/30 data-[state=selected]:bg-muted",
+      "border-b border-border/40 transition-colors hover:bg-muted/30 focus-within:bg-muted/30 data-[state=selected]:bg-muted",
       className
     )}
     {...props}
@@ -56,9 +56,10 @@ TableRow.displayName = "TableRow";
 const TableHead = React.forwardRef<
   HTMLTableCellElement,
   React.ThHTMLAttributes<HTMLTableCellElement>
->(({ className, ...props }, ref) => (
+>(({ className, scope = "col", ...props }, ref) => (
   <th
     ref={ref}
+    scope={scope}
     className={cn(
       "h-10 px-4 text-left align-middle text-[11px] font-medium uppercase tracking-wider text-muted-foreground [&:has([role=checkbox])]:pr-0",
       className
diff --git a/src/index.css b/src/index.css
index af9d801..b14ecbc 100644
--- a/src/index.css
+++ b/src/index.css
@@ -144,12 +144,28 @@
     background-clip: content-box;
   }
 
-  /* Focus ring — accent, 2px, with offset */
+  /* Focus ring — accent, 2px, with offset.
+     Components override this with Tailwind focus-visible:ring-* utilities
+     for a ring+offset combo that matches the rest of the design system.
+     This base rule covers anything that doesn't opt in (links in
+     prose, native checkboxes, etc.). */
   :focus-visible {
     outline: 2px solid hsl(var(--ring));
     outline-offset: 2px;
     border-radius: 6px;
   }
+
+  /* Respect reduced-motion users globally. */
+  @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+    *,
+    *::before,
+    *::after {
+      animation-duration: 0.001ms !important;
+      animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
+      transition-duration: 0.001ms !important;
+      scroll-behavior: auto !important;
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 @layer components {
@@ -197,6 +213,46 @@
     box-shadow: 0 0 12px hsl(var(--accent) / 0.5);
   }
 
+  /* Skip link — invisible until focused. Sits above the scan element on
+     first paint so it is the first Tab stop in the app. */
+  .skip-link {
+    position: fixed;
+    top: 0.75rem;
+    left: 0.75rem;
+    z-index: 100;
+    display: inline-flex;
+    align-items: center;
+    height: 2.25rem;
+    padding: 0 0.875rem;
+    border-radius: 0.625rem;
+    background-color: hsl(var(--card));
+    color: hsl(var(--foreground));
+    border: 1px solid hsl(var(--border));
+    box-shadow:
+      inset 0 1px 0 0 hsl(0 0% 100% / 0.04),
+      0 8px 24px hsl(0 0% 0% / 0.45);
+    font-size: 12.5px;
+    font-weight: 600;
+    letter-spacing: 0.01em;
+    transform: translateY(-200%);
+    transition: transform 150ms ease-out;
+  }
+  .skip-link:focus-visible {
+    transform: translateY(0);
+    outline: none;
+    box-shadow:
+      inset 0 1px 0 0 hsl(0 0% 100% / 0.04),
+      0 0 0 2px hsl(var(--background)),
+      0 0 0 4px hsl(var(--ring)),
+      0 8px 24px hsl(0 0% 0% / 0.45);
+  }
+  /* Reduced motion: skip the slide. */
+  @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+    .skip-link {
+      transition: none;
+    }
+  }
+
   /* Keyboard hint chip */
   .kbd {
     display: inline-flex;